A Mid-stardate-night's Dream
by ArgentNoelle
Summary: The crew of the Starship Enterprise beam down to Athens-IV to attend the wedding of Duke Theseus and Queen Hippolyta & take a few restful days of shore leave. Soon, Wesley Crusher goes missing, warranting an impromptu search party; and Oberon and Titania, mysterious entities of the forest, get into a bit of a quarrel... [TNG meets A Midsummer Night's Dream]


TNG: A Mid-stardate-night's Dream

_These are the voyages of the Starship Enterprise  
>…<em>

Captain's Log: stardate 43159.6. The Enterprise is in orbit around Athens-IV to attend the wedding of Theseus and Hippolyta, which will form a treaty between the nations of Athens and Amazonia. When the nations have joined, we hope to form a trade agreement between them and the Federation. I think it will be a much-needed rest for the crew, and will be allowing a few days of shore-leave during the celebrations.

[transporter room]

(Picard enters, Troi and Riker are talking and smiling to each other. Beverly and Wesley are talking to O'Brien by the transporter console.)

RIKER: Well, Captain, are we ready to go?

PICARD: Yes, indeed, Number One. (to O'Brien) Energize!

[They beam-down and appear in a columned building before Theseus and Hippolyta.]

THESEUS: Captain you're here.

HYPPOLYTA: I'm glad you could come.

PICARD: We wouldn't have missed it for the world.

RIKER: It's such an honor to finally meet you.

THESEUS: The honor is ours. Please, come.

(they start walking)

RIKER: (to Hippolyta) I understand that you have a lot of interesting botany here.

HIPPOLYTA: Indeed; you should look at the gardens by the South Wall if you have a chance.

RIKER: I'd love to. (smiles pleasantly)

[In an outdoor stage by the edge of a forest. Data, as well as other natives and crewmembers, are tuning their instruments while a few people run through some scenes from "Romeo and Juliet"]

DIRECTOR: We don't have that much time to rehearse, but I want it to sound perfect when we play it for the Duke and Duchess after the wedding. Mister Data, I'm glad you could join us.

DATA: it is my pleasure, sir.

(The run-through begins)

[In an area near or in buildings]

GEORDI: Commander!

RIKER: What is it Mr. LaForge.

GEORDI: It's Wesley. He's missing. I was working with him on the sound system by the performance area. He left to get more supplies almost two hours ago and he never came back. When I tried to reach him on his communicator, he didn't answer.

CRUSHER: (walking over) Wesley's missing?

RIKER: Ah, might have lost track of time, he'll probably turn up sooner or later. It's not like there's many places he could have gone.

CRUSHER: But there's a whole forest out there!

(Picard and Troi come over)

CRUSHER: I would feel a lot safer, Captain, if you'd send out a small search team.

PICARD: Very well, there's enough time. Riker, Beverly, let's go. Troi, would you like to come?

TROI: Of course. I might be of use in finding him.

(They walk toward the edge of the forest)

[inside the forest. Titania is standing next to Wesley, who is fiddling with some mechanical devices with lots of gears and things. The fairies have built things out of strange contraptions, taken from people's things, but used in strange ways.]

WESLEY: Wow, this is amazing! It's just like the contraptions from nineteenth-century Earth! Except older!

OBERON: Titania, give me the boy. He is no innocent to be coddled by your nymphs, or to take pleasure in fairy trifles. Look how he takes these machines and builds them—he is an inventor, an engineer.

TITANIA: For all of that, he is but a boy, and I found him wandering lost within the forest. Therefore, I will keep him, until he desires to stay with us no longer.

[in another part of the forest]

(Picard and Beverly and Riker and Troi split up at a lake.)

PICARD: meet back here in a few hours. If we don't find him by then, we'll scan for human life signs in the forest.

(Picard and Beverly start walking and soon get lost)

CRUSHER: Jean-Luc, do you know where we are?

PICARD: I thought _you_ knew where we were.

[meanwhile, in another part of the forest, Oberon and Puck are standing together]

OBERON: Puck, there you are. Have you heard of the genius boy Titania has become enamored of? He has done wondrous mechanical things. But she will not give him to me. Therefore, go to the hidden valley where the moon shines at the edge of the water and pick for me the small flower that looks like this (creates hologram on his palm) If the juice from this flower is dropped into one's eyes, it will create a feeling of love centered on the next sentient being they behold. I plan to put it on Titania's eyes, and then—her new infatuation will have her careless and she will easily give over the boy to me.

[Puck exits]

(Riker and Troi wander into view, entirely oblivious to Oberon next to them)

TROI: Will, I'm sensing something… there's a very emotionally powerful being in this forest with us. We have to warn the Captain.

RIKER: Very well. [taps communicator] Riker to Picard. [nothing] Captain, do you read me? [to Troi] The communicators aren't responding.

TROI: Just like Wesley's when Geordi tried to call him.

OBERON: Interesting… this one has more insight than most mortals, but it wouldn't do to risk it when my plan with Titania is of such importance. I see that these two are in love—perhaps if I give a few drops of this flower to the man, his emotions will drown out my presence in the telepath's mind.

(Riker and Troi leave)

[Puck enters]

PUCK: I did just as you ordered, my lord; here is the flower.

OBERON: (taking the flower) There are more mortals wandering the woods this twilight. Take you this flower, and drop the juice of it onto the man's eye; you will know him by his red Starfleet uniform.

PUCK: I go at once. [leaves with flower]

(Oberon leaves with other flower to go to Titania and drips it in her eye and leaves)

[Data enters, playing the violin.]

TITANIA: What sweet music is this? [peers over the edge of her bower, looking at Data, and instantly falls in love.]

DATA: It is Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata." An ancient Earth composer. I am sorry I did not notice you here; I will leave if it disturbs you. [moves to go]

TITANIA: No, stay! Your music is strange, yet pleasing, as you yourself seem to me.

DATA: Very well. [sits down beside her] would you like me to continue to play?

TITANIA: please do. [Data plays] Your eyes remind me of the wild primrose. [hands him one]

DATA: [taking it] Thank you. Although I believe my eyes may be a shade darker than this.

[in another part of the forest]

CRUSHER: [sitting down on a boulder] I can't walk another step. It's getting dark out, and we have no idea where we're going.

PICARD: Then we should take a rest. [sits down beside her] If only our communicators worked [presses it a few times in frustration, then sighs] we could be out of here already.

CRUSHER: I may be able to build a signal beam by wiring a communicator and a phaser to my tricorder.

PICARD: very well.

CRUSHER: It should work best from on top of this outcropping. [goes up to build signal]

[Picard goes to sleep]

PUCK: (wandering by) By his red Starfleet uniform, he said, and here the man is! [drops flower into his eye and leaves]

[in another part of the forest]

RIKER: (to Troi) I think I heard something.

TROI: Will, there's nothing there.

RIKER: (shaking head) one second, let me check it out. [leaves]

TROI: (sighs.) I told you I didn't sense anything. It's probably just the wind.

[Riker walks around for a bit and then realizes he's lost, but he sees the blinking phaser homing-beacon and goes toward it, finally reaching the base of the rocky outcropping, and tripping over Picard]

PICARD: (mumbling) "thy fair virtue's force perforce doth move me"

RIKER: What was that, Captain?

PICARD: (looking at Riker) Nothing, Number One, I only—what happened to you?

RIKER: Sir?

PICARD: This is entirely ridiculous. I don't like you. I never wanted you for my first officer anyway. In fact, you completely annoy me.

RIKER: (on his dignity) Sir, if you are done _insulting_ me I think I would like to ask—

PICARD: Riker—Will—ah, First Officer, I feel it my duty to inform you I seem to have fallen in love.

RIKER: (staring) I'm not sure I wanted to know that, Captain.

PICARD: (struggling to his feet, kind of uncomfortable from sleeping on a boulder) Nevertheless, as it involves you, I felt it—

RIKER: What? How does this involve me? We're supposed to be searching for Wesley. And I've lost Deanna!

PICARD: "O, speak again, bright angel! for thou art as glorious to this night, being o'er my head as is a winged messenger of heaven unto the white-upturned wondering eyes of mortals that fall back to gaze on him when he bestrides the lazy-pacing clouds and sails upon the bosom of the air."

RIKER: I don't know what you're doing, Captain, but I admit I'm worried. You're not acting like yourself. Where's the doctor? You were with her when we split up.

PICARD (vaguely) yonder.

RIKER: (shouting) Doctor Crusher!

[Beverly and Deanna enter at the same time, Troi looking shocked.]

CRUSHER: What's going on here? Do you need medical attention?

RIKER: No, I need him to stop (shakes Picard off his arm) reciting Shakespeare at me!

TROI: I'm sensing infatuation… it's very strong… and, hostility…

RIKER: Doctor!

CRUSHER: I'm coming. [goes over to Picard and running her tricorder over him] It looks as though he's been drugged.

RIKER: Drugged? How?

CRUSHER: I don't know, I was on top of the rocks building the homing beacon, but I'm sure I would have heard or seen if anyone had come by. Perhaps he's somehow touched or ingested a native plant—

RIKER: Well, whatever happened, can you fix it? I don't fancy running around this forest in the dark with the Captain in this kind of a state.

CRUSHER: I'll try… I might need the ships computers— [makes to tap her communicator, then drops her hand with an annoyed frown] At any rate, we need to get him out of this forest. Troi, give me a hand?

[Troi takes Picard's arm while Beverly takes his other arm]

CRUSHER: Commander, can you change the setting on your phaser to give us a little light?

RIKER: [does so] I'll lead the way.

BEVERLY: Be careful! Try not to touch any strange plants.

[in another part of the forest, Titania is off by the side of the scene gathering things to give to Data, while the fairies are dancing and Data is playing the violin with some fairy musicians. They're playing strange, wild music very fast, but Data is having no trouble keeping up. He looks like he's enjoying himself. Wesley and Puck are also there; Wesley's still tinkering with fairy contraptions while Puck is dancing with a fairy girl. Oberon comes up to Titania before she can rejoin the dance.]

OBERON: Titania, you have no use for the boy—

TITANIA: Boy? Oh, the one you want… [stares at him distractedly for a moment] very well, I give him to you—my android is much superior, he has a musical ear.

OBERON: (smiles) Thank you, my love. [he bows]

[Titania has already wandered off dazedly. Oberon stares after her for a moment with a frown, then shakes his head.]

OBERON: As soon as the boy is mine, I must administer the antidote; I feel myself pitying her state… her mind is lost on thoughts of that alien, she has lost her regal aspect, all that I most admire about her… [he goes to Wesley] Come, boy, you are mine now. Titania has given up her claim.

WESLEY: (looking up) What? [he puts down the thing with reluctance] but I was just figuring out how to make the—

OBERON: Puck! [Puck comes over] Take the boy.

[Puck and Wesley leave. Oberon goes to Titania, who is fawning over Data. He has the antidote flower in his palm.]

OBERON: Titania—

[she turns around, and he touches his fingers, covered with the antidote, to her eyes. She blinks, and then looks around.]

TITANIA: What is this, and for what reason are these revels here? I feel as though I have wakened from a dream, in which I felt I loved… [she turns to Data] but you are real! [she looks at Oberon] Explain to me what has occurred.

OBERON: So I shall, as we fly. [they exit]

[the edge of the forest. Morning. Data is lying on the ground, his eyes closed, his violin beside him sitting on a stone. He sits up, and looks around jerkily, seeming confused.]

DATA: That is strange… I thought I had a most unusual dream. What am I doing here? I can sense no malfunction. [he stands up, thoughtfully, picks up his violin, and begins to play snatches of the fairy tune]

[the edge of the forest, in another place. Riker, Picard, Beverly, and Troi wake up, to find Theseus, Hippolyta, Geordi, Worf, and others before them.]

WORF: We have been worried about you.

PICARD: With good reason; we must have been missing all night.

WORF: You have been missing for four days.

[everyone startles]

CRUSHER: four _days_?

PICARD: (passing a hand over his forehead as though he has a headache) That can't be, Mr. Worf, I clearly remember… entering the forest… [he stands up, as do the others] I feel as though I've had a very strange dream.

TROI: As have I.

RIKER (nods).

PICARD [looks at him awkwardly and then clears his throat.] Number One, I feel like I must apologize—

RIKER: A dream, Captain. I think none of us would require explanation for something that happened in a shared hallucination, or whatever this was.

THESEUS: Perhaps you have met the spirits of the wood.

[They gaze awkwardly at their hosts.]

PICARD: Yes, well— (clears his throat)

BEVERLY: where's Wesley?

[later that afternoon. By the side of the forest, the play is just ending, with musical accompaniment by Data and others. The Enterprise crew are all sitting in the audience, as are the Duke and Duchess]

PLAYERS: "Where be these enemies? Capulet! Montague! See, what a scourge is laid upon your hate, that heaven finds means to kill your joys with love. And I for winking at your discords too have lost a brace of kinsmen: all are punish'd."

GEORDI: (to Beverly) The ship's scanners are working; I'm sure they'll have pinpointed Wes's location in a few more hours.

CRUSHER: (giving him a worried smile) Of course… (to herself) four days… oh Wesley, where are you?

[Titania, Oberon, Puck, and Wesley are also in the audience, sitting a row in front of Beverly and Geordi. You don't see their faces until the camera pans around to them. They are watching the show like the others, but are invisible to everyone.]

WESLEY: I've appreciated all you've done for me, and I've had a great time looking at your engineering, but I have to go home now—my mother must be worrying about me, and I have to join my friends before the Enterprise leaves orbit.

OBERON: But— [Titania gives him a sharp glance, and he sighs.] Very well.

[suddenly, Oberon, Titania, and Puck are gone. Wesley turns his head at a gasp from behind him.]

CRUSHER: Wesley!

WESLEY: Yes, mom. I'm okay.

CRUSHER: (hugging him) oh, I was so worried about you; where were you? I didn't see you sit down—!

WESLEY: I dunno how to explain it, but there were these advanced beings that wanted my invention expertise, and I didn't want to protest until we'd gotten out of the forest and back to you guys. I don't think I was ever in any danger. And—oh, Geordi, were you able to finish the soundstage stuff by yourself?

GEORDI: (relieved and grinning) Yes, no thinks to you.

[Wesley climbs back into the row behind and watches the end of the play. It finishes, and everyone starts clapping.

[later, everyone is readying for beam-up]

PICARD: (to Theseus and Hippolyta) Congratulations on your wedding.

THESEUS: We're glad you could make it. (he bows, and Picard bows back)

PICARD: Enterprise, four to beam up.

[later, in Picard's room on the Enterprise, Picard closes a book he's been reading and looks out of the window onto stars slipping past. He starts to speak, musingly.]

PICARD: "If we shadows have offended, think but this, and all is mended; that you have but slumb'red here, while these visions did appear…

…and this weak and idle theme, no more yielding but a dream."

[The camera moves to show the cover of the book he had been reading. It is _A Midsummer Night's Dream_.]

.

.

.


End file.
